Many people believe that the health benefits of Thai massage include lowering stress, boosting energy, and improving athletic performance.
Thai massage uses gentle pressure and stretching techniques to relax the whole body. This is an ancient healing practice that originated in India. It dates back to around 2,500–7,000 years ago.
The technique that Thai massage practitioners use is very different from what people in the West may be accustomed to. Unlike Swedish or shiatsu massage techniques, in which a person passively lies on a bed, the client lies on the floor and participates more actively in the massage.
Thai massage has many health benefits, from lowering stress to relieving muscular tension. It can even increase energy.
Lowers stress
Stress is not necessarily bad. Often, stress can act as a positive motivator that might help push people to perform better and accomplish more in their personal and professional lives.
However, too much stress can negatively affect mental and physical health. Chronic, or long-lasting, stress can lead to serious illnesses, including depression and cardiovascular disease.
Thai massage uses gentle pressure and stretching techniques to relax the body. A 2015 study found that Thai massage significantly reduces levels of a certain stress marker present in the saliva, called sAA.
The researchers concluded that Thai massage is more effective at reducing stress in healthy people than simply resting.